Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Tuesday again called on 10 high-ranking policemen to go on leave as he decried a “massive cover-up” of the circumstances around the arrest of cops who allegedly kept 42 kilograms of shabu seized during a huge drug bust in October 2022.
At a press conference, Abalos said he was disappointed over the “very slow progress” of the Philippine National Police (PNP) investigation into the arrest of Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who was accused of keeping 42 kilos of shabu when 990 kilos were actually seized in his building during the raid last year.
The seized shabu was said to be worth P6.7 billion, the largest drug haul in the country.
The stolen 42 kilos were later recovered, prompting the PNP to create the Special Investigation Task Group 990 to probe it.
But Abalos, who is the ex-officio chairman of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), said he had asked about the progress of the investigation after months had passed with no result.
He also noted that the special task group investigated only the 42 kilos of shabu that were pilfered and returned, “leaving the main matter of the 990 kilograms of shabu unexplained and unaccounted [for].”
CCTV footage presented by Abalos showed the arrested Mayo in handcuffs and then later released. The video also showed different police officials arriving and leaving the premises of the establishment where Mayo was arrested. Mayo was later dismissed from the service.
He called on 10 high-ranking policemen who were shown and mentioned in the video to file their leave of absence within the week.
“They should go on leave pending the investigation. If not, they will be suspended,” Abalos said.
The head of the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group and nine others on Tuesday accepted the call to go on leave to give way to an investigation of the alleged cover-up.
In a press conference in Camp Crame in Quezon City, PDEG chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo denied the alleged cover-up but said they will comply with Abalos’ request that they go on leave.
“We will comply with the order of Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government Benhur Abalos. We will file our leave of absence right after this press conference,” Domingo said.
“We assure you that there was no attempted cover-up here,” he added.
PDEG Special Operations Unit Region 4A Chief Police Col. Julian Olonan said Mayo was intended to be used as an informant to get intelligence on an alleged drug warehouse in Pasig City.
On April 10, Abalos asked PNP two high-ranking officials and personnel to take a leave of absence to give way to the Napolcom to investigate cops in connection with the Tondo raid last October.
Domingo said they were dragged into the case when they were just doing their duty to go after illegal drugs.
“Let me express my dismay that this is being unfair on the part of those of us who just did our mandate and just did our fight against the illegal drug trade,” he said.
Aside from Domingo and Olonan, the following officers will also file for a leave of absence:
– Police Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos, then the PNP deputy chief for operations;
– Police Lt. Col. Glenn Gonzales of the Quezon City Police District;
– Police Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, the officer in charge of the PDEG SOU in NCR;
– Police Major Michael Angelo Salmingo, deputy of PDEG SOU NCR;
– Police Capt. Jonathan Sosongco, head of the PDEG SOU 4A arrest team;
– Police Lt. Ashrap Amerol, intelligence officer of the PDEG Intelligence and Foreign Liaison Division;
– Police Lt. Col. Harry Lorenzo station commander of the Manila Police District in Moriones; and
– Police Capt. Randolph Piñon, chief of PDEG SOU 4A Intelligence Section.
The PNP backed the call of Abalos to investigate the drug haul from October 2022.
In a statement, the PNP said that this is the “most prudent thing” to do to keep the police officials from influencing the investigation.
Meanwhile, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, expressed his full support for Abalos’ campaign to rid the PNP of scalawags and misfits.
“The committee on dangerous drugs has been conducting its own investigation on this incident involving Mayo and other ranking police officers. We have unearthed evidence, testimonial, and documentary as well as authentic surveillance television footage that revealed the damning truth and the real story behind several incidents that were peddled by some scalawags.”
“Indeed there is much truth in a massive attempt to exonerate Mayo and other personalities involved in the raid and those connected to him or both. Soon these pieces of evidence will unravel and reveal the real story. While we (House of Representatives) cannot prosecute, we are empowered to endorse our findings to all involved agencies and the courts to take action, as well as enact remedial legislation to ensure that such incidents will not be repeated,” Barbers said.